A pregnant woman may have to contend with mood swings, cravings, irritability, nausea, and a long list of other pregnancy ailments. If all that weren't enough to deal with, imagine if your partner started experiencing those symptoms too.

Interestingly, more than a few dads-to-be go through what's commonly called "sympathetic pregnancy." It's also known as couvade syndrome (the word comes from the French word couver, which means "to incubate"). The symptoms tend to appear in men during the third month of their partner's pregnancy, as well as toward the final weeks before birth.

A 2007 study by Arthur Brennan, a senior lecturer at St. George's, University of London, followed 282 future dads. It showed that some men whose partners were pregnant develop their own pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea, dizziness, hormonal fluctuations, back pain, cramps, irritability, and even cravings.

Hormones, love, or anxiety?

There's no clear explanation for the symptoms of couvade syndrome. Indeed, despite its prevalence, it isn't even formally recognized as a medical condition.

Some studies have focused on the hormonal changes in pregnant women and compared them with the hormone levels of fathers-to-be. A 1991 study by Canadian investigators indicates that changes in a woman's hormone levels (particularly prolactin and cortisol) are also found among some men during their partner's pregnancy.

The study suggests that these changes would produce pregnancy symptoms in a man, simultaneously creating an emotional connection with his pregnant wife. The findings also discovered high levels of prolactin in men during the weeks after the baby's birth.

Depending on the study, the percentage of men with couvade syndrome ranges widely – from 10 to 65 percent. The exact number of men who undergo these changes may never be determined because although many men develop minor pregnancy symptoms, few develop the most extreme ones, prompting only a small percentage to seek medical attention.

Couvade syndrome elsewhere

Anthropologists and other scientists have long taken an interest in the rituals surrounding birth and new parenthood in cultures around the world.

According to Leopoldo Villela, a San Francisco psychologist who specializes in family therapy, "Psychological studies done in Toluca, Mexico, in the 1960s revealed that in some indigenous communities, several men would care for the expectant father by performing a ritual in which he was covered in his wife's skirts, then soothed and rocked while he behaved like a baby. The ceremony would end with a dinner, after which the man would feel cured from this illness."

Villela says he has shared this information with future Latino dads who have mentioned feeling those symptoms. They claim this knowledge made them feel better and that eventually the symptoms disappeared.

Common symptoms of couvade syndrome

These are some of the physical symptoms that men who experience couvade syndrome feel early in their partner's pregnancy:

• Vomiting

• Leg cramps

• Nausea

• Abdominal pain

These are some of the psychological symptoms that men with couvade syndrome experience:

• Irritability

• Cravings

• Feelings of jealousy and anxiety

• Stress over the baby's future

• Mood swings

Treatment for couvade syndrome

Doctors and psychologists agree that couples should speak frequently about their baby's future to soothe any fears men feel over becoming a parent. They encourage men to take an active role during the pregnancy.

Salvadoran psychologist Melisa Villeda says, "Communication between couples is key. Each one must express how they're living the experience of becoming parents, since this will inevitably change their lives and they must learn to deal with it as well as possible. If psychological or medical help is necessary because a patient's symptoms are overwhelming, each case must be evaluated and treated with either therapy or medication to alleviate the discomfort.”

Experts agree that the most effective treatment is to make the man feel he is an active and vital part of the process, whether by participating in childbirth classes or providing support during delivery.

It's important for couples, and especially future dads, to know that the symptoms of couvade syndrome are real and that a significant number of men whose partners are pregnant experience them. Taking the time to prepare for birth and parenthood can help them avoid feelings of anxiety and fear.

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